By Audrey Levine Staff Writer
Who would have thought that playing a video game is a life-saving event?
For Paxton Galvanek, of South Main Street, that description became a reality after he used medical skills he learned while playing “America’s Army” a video game designed to give civilians a look into Army life to save two people injured in a car accident.
”When I saw the accident, I knew exactly what to do because, in the game, I had to sit through medical training and learn all about healing the wounded,” he said. “I felt as though I needed to get the men to safety as quickly as possible and then help them with their wounds.”
Mr. Galvanek said he sprang to action when he witnessed a driver lose control of a vehicle and flip over five times on I-40 in North Carolina on Nov. 23. He said that, after assessing the situation, he pulled the passenger out of the smoking vehicle before coming to the aid of the driver, who had two severed fingers and a head injury.
According to Mr. Galvanek, the information provided about controlling bleeding in the game enabled him to assist the injured driver.
”In this case, I used the medical training portion, which taught how to control bleeding and prioritize the wounded in a real-life event,” said Mr. Galvanek, who owns Galvanek & Wahl Advertising Agency on South Main Street. “I was also taught how to treat and understand when a wounded person is in shock, and how to help them.”
According to Lori Mezoff, America’s Army public relations director spokeswoman, the knowledge about first aid is one of the goals of this free game. She said that, in addition to this kind of training, players also learn about Army values and teamwork, as well as technology used by soldiers.
”The medical training was included in the game to educate players about first responder skills, the ABCs of Lifesaving, that could be used in an emergency situation,” she said.
The game, which was launched in 2002 as a PC action game, provides players with the basic training and allows them to get experience in missions similar to those from fighting terrorism, Ms. Mezoff said.
Once they complete the training, players assume virtual roles as U.S. Army soldiers.
”We normally don’t show expert information in a game, but this was designed to be like a virtual test drive,” said Col. Casey Wardynski, America’s Army project director, when he appeared with Mr. Galvanek on FOX News on Saturday to discuss the accident.
Col. Wardynski said the game is one of the top 10 downloads in the world and is realistic in the skills and lessons it teaches about being in the army and dealing with the wounded.
”After 9/11, the Army decided to put life-saving in the game for soldiers and civilians,” he said. “We didn’t expect to find out that somebody saved somebody’s life, but it’s gratifying to hear that.”
According to Ms. Mezoff, this was not the first time someone has been saved by a rescuer receiving training from the game. She said that, several years ago, a mother reported that her 16-year-old son used the training to save his brother from bleeding to death after a broken golf club hit his arm and cut his arterial vein.
For Mr. Galvanek, who has been playing the game since 2003, assisting with the injured people was his way of using what he knew to help people in need, despite the fact that they were complete strangers.
”I helped these people because I was the first person to witness the accident and, if I didn’t help them, I wasn’t sure that anyone else would have,” he said. “It was instinctual for me to jump out of my vehicle and run to their aid. I can only hope that if I was in an accident, someone would stop to save me.”
